Ship Wrecked
by Captain-Snow-Bug
Summary: Mermaid!elsa rescues sailor!anna AU. Response to a tumblr post


This is a response from - elsannaheadcanons (tumblr) post/76896081153

I just wanted to put a copy up here for future reference.

Mermaid AU: Anna's an oar slave on a pirate ship but it sinks during a storm and she manages to float away to the shoreline on some debris and passes out. The next morning, she awakes to mermaid!Elsa fawning over her, trying to make sure she's still alive. Elsa helps Anna recover and get acclimated to the island and they become girlfriends.

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**Ship Wrecked**

The cold water sloshed against her face, stinging her eyes and whipping her hair from it's tie. It didn't matter though. Anna was to preoccupied with trying to desperately hold onto the debris keeping her afloat. Her breath came in short gasps against the chill and the pounding bruise along her side.

Given the conditions of the night it wasn't unimaginable that the boat would sink. But it had still taken them all by surprise. The thick walls of water had finally sloshed over the bow and tipped the boat a little to far past equilibrium. Water rushed through, punching a hole in the starboard side wall.

It was hopeless after that.

Anna watched from her wooden plank as other crew members struggled to stay afloat. She wished she could do something, but she was so tired. The rain and her wild hair were impairing her vision and the water was sucking the heat from her body. Her limbs grew heavy and her eyes thick as she struggled to stay conscious.

_It couldn't end like this._

It was an ironic last thought, but there was nothing more her weary body could do. She slipped toward unconsciousness as her frozen fingers began to slip from their life line. As Anna's eyes slid shut she watched the waves disappear as her body was submerged beneath the surface. A slow sigh escaped her lips in a pathetic stream of bubbles. Somewhere in the distance she heard a cry. It sounded pained, but Anna was to far gone to pay it any mind.

Her head was heavy and something fierce was buzzing through it. Anna tried to shake it loose but she wasn't able to move. Her entire body felt heavy. It also felt warm. No. Warm wasn't correct, more of an absence of cold. A tender yet soft caress slid down her jaw line. Anna felt her body hum in response. A little more cold sapped from her. There was a certain pleasantness against her face.

A breath passed through her lips and she felt it bounce back against her. Chasing it was the softest touch Anna had ever felt. A moan vibrated within her chest as she felt life being pushed back into her. Recognition pressed against her fuzzy brain and she registered the touch was not the cool kiss of the sea but the lips of a person.

Anna felt herself being pulled further out of darkness. A nose nuzzled against hers in response. Lips pushed against hers keeping them parted. A gentle breeze propelled itself into her body and Anna felt her own lips move in response, seeking more of the supple skin against her own. The iron hold on her limbs weakened as she sought more skin from above her. Her previously insensitive body hummed and Anna felt her heart begin to pound in her chest. Another moan vibrated up from her chest. But this was not the groan of a waking human on the brink of death, but the groan from one who felt life and compassion.

With great difficulty she pried her salt dried eyes open. Hovering above her was a blurry image of a girl. Her cobalt blue eyes slowly coming into focus. She was pale. Like the salt of the sea had permanently sealed itself to her skin and her hair was even whiter. It was pure, like it had never felt the heat of the sun.

_Are you an angel? _Anna's mind willed her to ask, but her body was still so unresponsive. She struggled to make sense of it, of where she was, of who this girl was.

The girl saw her struggle and placed a cool hand on Anna's shoulder forcing her to be still. She carefully shook her head discouraging any further movement.

"W-who are you?" Anna croaked, her voice was harsh and the words scraped the inside of her throat.

The girl smiled tenderly at her, blue eyes large with concern. But she didn't speak. Her hand slowly withdrew of Anna's shoulder leaving her body cold again. Without thinking Anna grabbed it with her own. The girl's slender fingers slipping between her own. Anna pulled her hand to rest on her sternum. She was to tired to care about the consequences of her actions.

"You must not go back to sleep."

Her voice was like a silk-laden melody and Anna felt as though her ears had never head a sweeter sound. Her hand returned to cup Anna's cheek. Leaning into it the touch Anna realized the girl had nothing covering her arms. Her flawless skin stretched up delicate wrists and infinite planes of graceful to smooth shoulders before jutting over a very well pronounced collar bone. Anna felt her throat go dry.

A rough rustle against her ankle drew her attention away from the girl toward the her rough skirt. It was a speckled dark blue but as Anna tilted her head further she realized it wasn't a skirt at all. The girl had a tail. Her mouth fell open and her eyes widened as the girl, no mermaid continued to watch her with interest.

Anna's eyes snapped back to her. "You, you saved me?"

Her lips pulled up in a smile and nodded slowly, carefully.

"And you're a, a mermaid?" Anna continued for clarification trying to push herself to a sitting position.

Again the girl nodded in the same queer fashion. "You were going to die." She said slowly, gently as if she was sorry it had happened.

Anna blinked, partially from the harsh light hitting the beach and partially from the reality of the situation. "Oh gosh. The boat. The crew." Her eyes searched her rescuer for some sort of answer.

A grimace and slow shake of her head was the only response Anna received.

Anna gave her a watery smile. "Well. Thank you. For saving me."

The mermaid was still hovering half over top of her. Her eyes large and imploring, as if Anna would slip away from her again. Anna felt herself grow self-conscious under her gaze.

"Do you have a name?" She asked tentatively.

The mermaid blinked for the first time. Her stare broken. Drawing back and into herself she sat back a bit. After a brief hesitation she spoke. "Elsa."

Anna smiled in spite of herself. _Elsa._ A prettier name had never been uttered.


End file.
